Jonathan Sedman, right, with his partner Christa, got to meet his newborn son, Kayden, over the weekend. Sedman was ivolved in an accident at a race track on Vancouver Island last month. (Photo submitted: Jennifer Sedman)

Man holds newborn son for first time after devastating B.C. racetrack crash

Surrey resident Jonathan Sedman, who was severely injured at an accident at a Vancouver Island speedway last month, got to hold and meet his son for the first time over the weekend, his sister Jennifer Sedman told the Now-Leader.

“It was pretty awesome,” she said. “He was pretty devastated that he hadn’t been able to hold his son or see his son up to that point. He was looking at pictures of his son but he just couldn’t wait for that moment.”

“Jon will be requiring extensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy before he can bear any weight on his body,” the GoFundMe campaign reads. “He will be facing mobility challenges among others that will require special equipment to make it all possible.”

Jonathan, who works at Save On Foods and at family-run Celebration Fireworks in the Lower Mainland, was setting up for a season-ending fireworks display at Saratoga Speedway on Vancouver Island when a car flipped over the track barrier and landed on him, Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue deputy chief Chris Murray told Black Press the day after the accident.

“I think there was about four to six people that had to lift the race car off the guy to get him out,” said Murray. “He had some facial lacerations and some numbness and tingling to his legs.”

Jonathan, Jennifer said, suffered injuries to his hip, bladder and pelvis, adding that he also had a small brain bleed when the accident happened.

“His left leg, because of the injuries to his hip and his pelvis, he has trouble moving it — he can only move it a little bit.”

Jennifer said doctors are doing some nerve studies to figure out why he doesn’t have any reflexes in his left leg. She also said doctors are keeping an eye on his chest since Jonathan broke five ribs on his left side.

“He’s fully awake, he just gets exhausted really easily, and his voice is still not back to normal,” she said. “Personality-wise, it’s him now.”

As for Christa, said Jennifer, she is “dealing with it really well.”

“She’s kind of spending her time between caring for her little guy and then also coming to visit Jonathan as well. She’s pretty strong.”

When it comes to Jonathan’s recovery, Jennifer said the family is “taking it day-by-day.”

“Jonathan asked the nurse and doctors today, like, how long until he could essentially leave,” said Jennifer, adding that the nurse told him she couldn’t “really say right now.”

“We’re definitely in it for the long haul.”

But Jennifer said the money from the GoFundMe “is going to be a huge help.”

With an initial goal of $25,000, the campaign has now surpassed that and is still growing. As of Wednesday morning (Oct. 17), the campaign has raised $28,210.

“That is just insane how the GoFundMe page has just taken off. We’re all really shocked, actually, by the amount of support we’ve gotten from people we know, from people we don’t know.”